The implemented of a Near Field Communication (NFC) test system had the goal to invent a system which is capable of testing NFC devices concerning the amplitude and frequency of the emitted electro magnetic field, just like the range in which other NFC devices can be detected. Therefore a cartesian coordinate robot was constructed. It can move the device under test (DUT) in three dimensions to a maximum of 200 mm along each axis. The three stepper motors used, provide an accuracy of 0.25 mm. The main application which was developed features a 3D log viewer, a robot control panel and a test editor. Tests scripts can be written by the user to provide custom test scenarios. These scripts are written in Python and can access the robot, logs and the DUT using a Python module provided with the main application.

To test a device, custom software has to be installed on it, which provides communication with the main application and controls the devices NFC activities as requested by the main application and the test script. This test-client, a J2ME application, comes with an hardware abstraction layer, allowing us to use the test client on different mobile phones like Nokia’s 6131 or 3220 but also Samsung’s X700n and Sagem’s myX700.

The NFC devices can be connected via TCP/IP or Bluetooth. Already implemented tests include field measurements in all three dimensions. Window tests can be used to verify if a specific device can detect a target in a certain range. It is also possible to determine a devices maximum range in each direction. Measured positions are stored separately in a database and can be analyzed in the log viewer. The result can be rotated and zoomed and provides all collected data of each point.

Automated testing of NFC devices and their operating modes can by done by this system in a very convenient and quick way. Through customized test cases allow individual tests with different NFC devices without Software adaptation. The results of the tests indicate the functionality of the NFC devices in different operating modes.